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Your e-mails: The future of sports and fitnessWill soccer score in the U.S.? Will the NBA unveil 12-foot rims?
![]() At least one reader thinks ultimate Frisbee is poised to become a major sport. SPECIAL REPORT(CNN) -- As part of our Welcome to the Future special report, we recently asked for your thoughts on the future of sports and fitness. Here is a sampling of your e-mailed predictions, some of which have been edited. (Read more about CNN's special report exploring the realities of the future) Too many times have we seen a game's result change over one bonehead call by the referee. So how will sports change you ask? Simply [by getting] rid of the human error that comes along with the officiating. Cameras have helped us catch everything that happens on the pitch. Imagine if we hadn't caught [French World Cup soccer star Zinedine] Zidane head-butting that Italian. Priceless. I believe more sports will start adopting the camera review program, and maybe even [going] as far as eliminating the official on the field and [leaving] everything up to [those in] the booth, sitting up high, watching video screens, but who knows? I really think we'll see ultimate Frisbee and/or Frisbee golf move into the world of professional sports over the coming decades. These sports have become significantly more popular among high school youth and college students within recent years. I believe that steroids will eventually be accepted by society, leading to a spike in performances in all sports. Humans will eventually evolve into a more "meathead"-like species with very little brain power. Who knows, we may even grow wings, leading to completely new sports and weapons in war. People will be enthralled with exciting new developments and technologies. But in the end, the real appeal will always be pure talent. The ones who can hit, run, catch, throw, drive, race, etc., the fastest will be the ones we watch. Sure, things will get fancier, and training (and unfortunately doping) will be more high-tech, but people will always be attracted to true athleticism. It is clear from the viewership and excitement surrounding this year's World Cup that soccer is the American obsession of the future. The struggle against the use of steroids, growth hormones, et. al., is a losing battle. It is similar to banning professionals from competing in the Olympics. In another 50 years such drug use will be common, and professional athletes will compete against one another to enhance their physical abilities. Perhaps they will even wear the corporate logos of the chemical companies [that] pump them up. There will always be athletes who choose to abstain, but they will be handicapped in comparison with their peers, even though they may live longer and healthier lives. All sports devices and clothes will have some kind of a computer chip and will be connected to a wireless network, providing real-time analysis and advice. As an example, running shoes will have [the] capability to monitor the distance, steps taken, weather, foot pressure, etc. Running shirts may have chips to monitor the perspiration, heartbeat, etc. All of this data will be sent to a centralized data center (it can be a health clinic, hospital or other relevant institution) [and will] then [be] analyzed according to the person/group's need and sent back in real time. Hopefully, sports will return to the way it used to be, at a time when players weren't so greedy, thuggy and disrespectful. There isn't one sport in America (in regards to the main three) that demonstrates a lack of greed, bad behavior, poor sportsmanship and other shady behavior. Americans seem to knock a sport like soccer and say that it is a silly sport because they don't understand it, but in my opinion, it is one of the few "beautiful" games to watch. With its style, aggressiveness and flare, it is [one of] only a few sports that I have grown to really enjoy watching. School budget cuts and pay-to-play policies will drive young people away from traditional "ball sports" and into action sports like skateboarding, snowboarding and cycling. They'll grow into active adults who would rather have fun themselves than watch spectator sports on TV. As a high school coach and health teacher, I see two dangerous trends in youth sports and fitness. Sports have become a financial solution to those who want their child to go to college. Young athletes are less likely to play "for the love of the game" and more likely to ask "what have you done for me lately?" The second trend is [a rise in] those who are willing to use performance-enhancing drugs. Eventually, we will have two types of professional sports: drug-free and drug-users. The NBA will eventually reach a correction phase. Why don't they raise the baskets up to 12 feet and make dunking impressive again? Sports in the next few years will gain even more attention at the lower levels. Many people are tired of the whining millionaire sports personalities. Soccer will increase in ratings, and NASCAR will be as popular as ever. Lacrosse is trying to break through, but doesn't interest most people. The real future of sports is in the gambling, though. Very soon, you'll be able to bet on anything, very easily, from your Palm Pilot.
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